Setting Automatic Printing to a File Name in Windows NT

Summary

This article describes how to enable automatic printing to a file in Windows NT.

More Information

To enable automatic printing to a file in Windows NT 3.x, follow these steps:

In Print Manager, click Create Printer on the Printer menu.

NOTE: If the printer already exists, select the printer, click Properties on the Printer menu, and then follow steps 3-5.

In the Create Printer dialog box, type the printer name and description details in the Printer Name box, and then press ENTER.

In the Print To dialog box, click Network Printer in Windows NT 3.1 or click Other in Windows NT 3.5x, and then click Local Port.

In the Local Port box, type the 8.3 file name (include the drive and path if necessary) to which you want to print.

Click OK. At this time, Print Manager may need to install the printer driver software.

Changing the Print Setup settings in your programs to print to this newly created printer causes automatic printing to the file name supplied in step 4.

To enable automatic printing to a file in Windows NT 4.0, follow these steps:

In the Printers folder, click Add Printer.

NOTE: If the printer already exists, select the printer, click Properties on the File menu, and then follow steps 3-9.

Click My Computer, and then click Next.

Click the Ports tab.

Click Add Port.

Click Local Port.

Click New Port.

Type a path and file name for the file, using either long file names or 8.3 naming conventions.

Click OK.

Click Close, and then click OK.

Additional Information

Windows 3.1 supports automatic printing to a file by modifying the Win.ini file so that programs print to the same file name. This disables the dialog box that prompts for a file name and writes to the same file name every time. This behavior is useful for certain programs that need to be automated.

Windows NT stores all the user-defined print information in the registry; it does not allow you to modify an .ini file to disable the pop-up messages prompting for a file name from program.